MIDDLESEX TWP — About 200 people packed the township’s municipal center Thursday night to question state officials about their decision to close Glade Run Lake.

Many of those people let their frustrations be known early and often, sometimes jeering officials during their presentation.

Officials included state Sen. Jane Orie, R-40th, and state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-12, as well as representatives from Gov. Tom Corbett’s and U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire’s office.

The audience members’ mainly focused on why state officials would drain a lake that attracts 16,000 visitors a year and draws in about $1.2 million annually for the local economy.

Those officials said the state’s Fish and Boat Commission found a large crack in the lake’s dam in May.

Fearing the public safety of residents who live downstream, officials with the state’s Department of Environmental Protection classified the dam as a “high hazard.”

Gary Moore, another commission spokesman, admitted he couldn’t offer any reliable timeline on if or when the lake would have water again.

The reason for the uncertainty is simple, Moore said: the Fish and Boat Commission has no money to fix the dam, estimated to cost more than $4 million.

Moore, Metcalfe and Orie repeatedly urged the audience to spearhead the fundraising efforts themselves.

Even the smallest amount of money could supplement potential grants that could be awarded by the state, Metcalfe said. He said residents can count on him and Orie to advocate for their cause in Harrisburg.

Orie said, “We’ll be with you every step of the way.”